When you watch the NBA live, you probably have noticed the season starts around October and ends in the springtime. Since all games are held inside and start around the colder months, does this make basketball a winter sport?
High school basketball is considered a winter sport as all games are held indoors and aired on television around winter. However, basketball in its entirety is considered a multi-seasonal sport.
In the rest of this article, I will tell you why basketball is professionally played in the winter but is not considered a winter sport in its entirety. Let’s begin with how basketball is not a winter sport.
How Is Basketball Not a Winter Sport?
College, High school, and NBA basketball tournaments are only played during the winter season or shortly before. Since these tournaments are played and aired during the colder months, you would think they would be considered a winter sport, right?
Basketball in its entirety is not a winter sport due to the lack of playing on icy surfaces, per requirement in the winter Olympics. Since basketball can not be played on snow and ice, it is not considered a winter sport.
However, there is one exception when it comes to most tournaments being played in winter, and that is the WNBA. The Women’s National Basketball Association has games being played from the beginning of April to the end of September.
This has not stopped fans from broadcasting their opinions to the Winter Olympics. Fans have been calling for the sport to be added due to its high viewer count, and that again since the majority of the games are played during the winter season.
The Winter Olympics continues to decline the suggestion basketball joins its game lineup. Basketball is not a game that is exclusive to winters, such as skiing or snowboarding, and is not played on ice like hockey is.
Why Basketball Is Played Professionally in Winter
Since basketball is not considered a winter sport, why is it professionally played in winter? This is a question many people have thought of, and there is a simple answer to it as well.
Basketball is played professionally in the winter due to other sports taking up remaining season slots.
Think of the other sports that are mainly played during the spring and summer months. Football and baseball seasons have dominated these seasons for years, so basketball has been moved to the next available season, winter.
Ed Costello, a coach of 40 years and a published author of sports news, answered a similar question on quora asking why basketball is played through the winter.
He stated, “Basketball became associated with the winter season because it was invented as an alternative activity to team sports (like soccer, baseball, field hockey, track, and field, etc.) which are hampered by inclement winter weather.”
Final Thoughts
Basketball is not a winter sport according to the Winter Olympics, even if the tournaments are played and broadcast live on television to the fans during the colder months. This is a sport that can be played during all weather conditions, while “Winter sports” are only played on ice and snow.